Tooth-brush.



D. WEISS.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1912.

1,074,761. Patented 001;.7', 1913.

V In are): for.

FEQE.

DAVID WEISS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. "were.

Application filed November 29, 1912. Serial No. 733,984.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID WEISS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brushes; and I hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it the same. a

This invention relates to improvements in tooth-brushes, and pertains more especially to a tooth-brush comprisng two tooth-brushing sections which are adapted to be swung laterally and arranged at the forward end of the handle of the brush and in position side by side when ready for use and in said position have their tufts of bristles projecting in the same direction and are locked against swinging laterally and outwardly into a position back to back but free when unlocked tobe swung laterally and outwardly into their last-mentioned position so as to permit the brush to be inclosed in a shallow pocket-case' V a 7 One object of this invention is not only to have the bristle-carrying stock of each tooth-brushing section operatively connected" with a shaft extending into and having bear- 7 ing in the handle and removable from the shaft so as to permit the renewal of the stock and its bristles when the bristles have become inefficient by wear, but to have the means employed in detachably securing the stock to the shaft out of the way and not interfering with the efficiency of the brush.

Another object is not only to have the back of the stock of each brushing section and the shaft of said brushing section sub stantially parallel and to have the stock provided with a surface which extends longitudinally of the stock and is instrumental in forming the face of the stock, but to have said surface arranged at an angle to said back and sloping toward said back in the 1 pertains to make and use Another object is not only to have the shaft of eachbrushing section operatively provided within the handle with a gear and to have the gears of the shafts of both brushing sections meshing with each other and to have the handle comprise a case inclosing said gears, but to have said cascadequately strong and durable andinexpensive in construction and comprising a removable cap or shell which is locked in place by a latch which is supported independently of any means employed in the operation of the shafts and does not interfere in its operative or looking position with the operation of the shafts.

WVitlrthese objects in view, and to the end of attaining any other advantage hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, and coinbinations and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, pointed out int-he'claims, and illustrated in ings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a face View, largely in central section, of my improved tooth-brush.

on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view,

the accompanying draw Fig. 2 is a transverse section largelyin central section, of the forward end-section of the handle and connected brushing sect-ionsand shows said brushingsections int-he position into which they are swung preparatory to placing said handlesection and connected brushing sections into a pocket-case. Fig. at is a transverse section on line t'i, Fig. 1. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sections on line 55, line 66 and line 77, respectively, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a transverse section corresponding with Fig. 7 except that in Fig. 8 the latch R employed 'in looking the cap and shell A of the forward handle-section is shown in an inoperative position, whereas Fig. 7 shows said latch in its operative position. Fig. 9 is a side view of an open pocket-case in which the forward end-section of the handle and connected brushing sections and the intermediate handle-section and rear end-section of the handle are compactly arranged. The toothbrush is shown in full size in Figs. 1 and 9, whereas Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Tand 8 are drawn on an enlarged scale.

Referring to said drawings, A indicates a metal cap or shell instrumental in forming the forward end-section of the sectional handle of my improved tooth-brush; B, the

intermediate section of the handle, and C,

the rear end-section of the handle. The rear end-section C of the handle is provided at its forward end with a tubular couplingmember 10 embracing the rear end-portion;

scribed it w1ll be observed that the handle of but removable from the intermediate handle-section B to render said end-section removable from said intermediate section. The intermediate handle-section B is provided at its forward end with a tubular coupling-member 11 embracing but removable from the cap or shell A of the forward end-section of the handle. The cap or shell A of the forward end-section of the handle is provided at the rear end of said handlesection with a head 12 having a hole 13 V which is in open relation with a chamber 14 formed in the forward end-portion of the intermediate handle-section B. The forward end-section of the handle is provided interiorly with a chamber 16 which extends longitudinally of said handle-section.

The brush-proper of my improved toothbrush comprises two tooth-brushing sections D and E. Each brushing-section comprises a stock F and tufts f of bristles. The stocks F are arranged at and forward of the forward end ofand in line endwise with the handle and side by side and flush at their faces when the brushing sections D and E are in position ready for use as shown in Fig. 2. The stool: F of. the brushing section D is mounted on and operatively connected with a shaft 20. The stock F of the brushing section E is mounted on and operatively connected with a shaft 21. The shafts 20 and 21 are parallel and spaced laterally. The shaft of each stockF extends ,into and longitudinally of said stock and arranged within said chamber and formed from the rear end of the stock into and longitudinaly of the chamber 16 in the forward end-section of the handle and has bearing. in and is supported (see Figs. 1 and 3) by members 15 and 17 which form the rear end Wall and forward end wall respectively of said chamber and are instrumental in forming a case which comprises the cap or shell A and lncloses two gears 22 and 23 on and shown integral with the shafts 20 and 21 respectively, which gears are arranged between the shaft-suppor-ting members 15 and 17 and mesh with each other and establish operative connection between the shafts. The forward shaft-supportingniem ber 17 (see Fig. 3) is provided externally with a rearwardly facing shoulder 18 against which the cap or shell A abuts at its forward end. The cap or shell A is slipped onto the shaft-supporting members 15 and 17 from the rear end of the rear shaft supporting member 15' and removable rearwardly from said shaft-supporting members. Said shaft-supporting members are connected together by rods 19 which are soldered or otherwise secured to said shaft supporting members and arranged so'as not to interfere with the location and operation of the gears 22 and 23.-

By the construction hereinbefore denot only comprises a case inclosing the gears 22 and 28 but that said case 15 adequately strong and durable and inexpenslve inconvstruction and comprises a removable cap or shell A. Not unimportant is the removability of the stock of each brushing section,

from the shaft of said brushing-section not only to permit the application of said shaft to the forward shaft-supporting member 17, but to permit the renewal of'said stock and its bristles when the bristles have become in eflicient by wear, and my invention comprises improved means employed in detachably securing said stock to said shaft but applied in such a manner as to be out of the way and not interfere with the efiiciency of the brush. Preferably the stock of each brushing section (see Figs. 1, 2' and 8) has the rear end-portion 27 of its face arranged at an angle to the shaft on which the stock is mounted and sloping toward the shaft in the direction of the handle, and said stock from said recess releases the stock from the shaft as required to: permit the stock to be withdrawn from the shaft to be replaced 7 another stock having new bristles.

Preferably the stocks F have their ad-V jacent sides abutting against each other, as

shown in Fig. 2, when the brushing section-s are in position side by side and ready for use, and said stocks are rounded or contoured, as at 24, at their backs and at said sides, as shown in Fig. 2", asrequired to render the brushing sections capable in said i position of being swung laterally and out wardly into a position backto: back asshown in Fig. 3. Obviously the brushing sections D and E are swung laterally and outwardly and independently of the handle during the rotation ofthe shafts 20 and 21 in the direction indicated by the arrows a.

in Fig.4:

As shown in Figs. and 5-, the gear 23 has" three teeth andth'e gear 22 two teeth, and

the non-toothedp'ortion of each gear is as large diametrically asthe toothed portion of each gear and has such dimensions circumferentially of the: axisof'said gear that the V gears rotate exactlyone' -fou-rth of a rotationineither direction. Hence the shafts 20iand' 21 have their operation limited" to one fourth of a rotation in either direction. It will be observed also that during the rota tion of the shafts in the direction indicated by the arrows a: in Fig. 4 the brushing sections D and E are swung laterally and outwardly from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and l, into the position shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and the brushingsections are actuated into the position shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6,7 and 8 preparatory to placing the forward end-section of the handle and connected brushing sections, upon detaching the intermediate handle-section from said forward end-section, into the pocket-case Gr shown in Fig. 9, and it will be observed that in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 9 the brushing-sections have their backs arranged directly opposite and abutting against each other, and the tufts of bristles of each brushing section are in said position of the brush ing sections arranged at a right angle to the arrangement of said tufts in the position of said brushing sections shown in Figs. 1', 2 and 4. 1

Within the chamber 16 and between the rear shaft-supporting member 15 and the gears 22 and 23 is arranged a slide L which (see Figs. 1, 3 and 6) is slidably mounted on and shiftable longitudinally of the shafts 20 and 21. Said slide is therefore movable endwise of the forward end-section of the handle. Said slide is provided with a stem Z which extends loosely through the hole 13 in the head 12 of the cap or shell A and into the chamber 1 1 in the intermediate handlesection B, and said stem is provided within said chamber with a link or looking member H which is pivoted at one end, as at ii, to the outer end of said stem and in its operative position, shown in Fig. 1, is arranged longitudinally of but diagonally relative to said stem and projects from said end of said stem to the right and toward said head and presses somewhat against the outer side of said head and thereby positively locks the slide against movement toward the brushing sections when the brushing sections are in position side by side and ready for. use, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Upon removal of the intermediate handle-section B from the forward end-section of the handle access is had to the locking member H and by swing ing said locking member away from the head 12 of the cap or shell A so as to unlock the slide and thereby permit movement of the slide toward the brushing sections the stem Z may be manipulated to actuate the slidetoward said brushing sections. The slide L (see Fig. 3) is provided with a slot 25 arranged spirally of the shaft 21 and eX- tending from within the forward end portion of the slide at a point centrally between the shafts 20 and 21 to the rear ex tremity of the slide, and the shaft 21 is pro-- vided with a tongueor projecting member 26 which engages said slot and is arranged correspondingly spirally of the shaft. During the shifting of the slide endwise in one direction the shaft through the medium of its projecting member 26 and one of the side walls of the slot 25 is rotated in one direc tion, and during the actuation of the slide endwise in the opposite direction said shaft through the medium of said projecting member and the opposite side wall of said slot is rotated in the oppositedirection, and the relative arrangement of the parts is such that movement of the slide toward the brushing sections results in the rotation of the shafts in the directionindicated by the arrows m in Fig. 4 so as to swing the brushing sections from the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4t laterally and outwardly into a position in which they lie in the same plane as shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Of course the shafts 20 and 21, the forward shaft-supporting member 17 and the slide L are assembled preparatory to the application of the rear shaft-supporting member 15 and the rods 19.

Not unimportant also is the removability of the cap or shell A from the shaft-supporting members 15 and 17 to afford access to the chamber 16 and to the gears and slide in said chamber for cleaning purposes, and my invention comprises means whereby said cap or shell is locked in place relative to said shaft-supporting members and independently of the locking member H by a latch R which is accessible only from the interior of the handle and upon the removal of the intermediate handle-section B. The latch R (see Fig. 3) is pivotally connected to the rear shaft-supporting member 15 andpreferably is provided with a pivotal member r which is arranged at the left-hand side of the stem Z of the slide L. The pivotal member 7 is parallel with said stem Z and has bearing in the rear shaft-supporting member 15. As shown in Fig. 3 the pivotal member 1 is arranged in line endwise with the shaft 20. The latch R (see Figs. 1, 3 and 7) projects in its operative or locking position toward the left-hand side of the cap or shell A and overlaps the outer side of the head 12 of said cap or shell and in said position is arranged to be swung into a position opposite the hole 13 formed in said head so as to render the latch inoperative. That is, said latch to render it inoperative is swung from its operative position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7 toward the stem Z of the slide L and projects toward said. stem in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 8. The hole 13 in the head 12 of the cap or shell A. is of course large enough in dimensions and has the arrangement required to accommodate not only the location and operation of the stem Z of the slide L but also to accommodate the connection of the latch R to the rear shaftsupporting member 15 and to permit the removal of said cap or shell upon actuating said latch into an inoperative position after the removal of the intermediate handle-section B from the forward end-section of the handle. It will be observed therefore that my invention comprises means for locking the cap or shell A in position relative to the shaft-suppcrting members 15 and 17 and independent of any means employed in the operation of the shafts 20 and 21 and consequently independent of any member employed in the swinging of the brushing sections and that said locking means is only accessible upon the removal of the intermediate handle-section B.

Not unimportant also is the provision of the stock of each brushing section with a surface'30 which (see Fig. 3) extends longitudinally of the stock and is instrumental in forming the face of the stock and arranged at'an angle to the back of the stock and consequently at an angle to the shaft on which said stock is mounted and slopes toward said back in the direction of the forward end of the stock, and the tufts f of said stock project from said surface. That is, the stock of each brushing section has tufts f which :are spaced longitudinally of and project from the surface of the stock and have their outer ends arranged substantially equidistantly from the back of the stock so that the rearward of any two tufts spaced longitudinally of said surface does not project as far from said surface and is consequently stiffer than the other or forward of said tufts.

What I claim is 1. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with two brushing-sections arranged in position side by side when ready for use and adapted in said position to be swung late ally and outwardly into a position back to back; mechanism for swinging said brushing sections laterally, and a handle carrying said mechanism and comprising a shell instrumental in inclosing said mechanism and removable rearwardly from said mechanism, of means for locking said shell in position relative to and independently of the operation of said mechanism.

2. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with two brushing-sections arranged in position side by side when ready for use and adapted in said position to be swung laterally and outwardly into a position back to back, each brushing-section comprising a rearwardly extending shaft, and a handle comprising a member affording bearing to and instrumental in supporting the aforesaid shaft, said handle also comprising a shell slipped forwardly onto and removable rearwardly from and surrounding said shaft-supporting member, of means for locking said shell in position relative to the aforesaid shaft-supporting member independently of the operation ofthe aforesaid shafts.

3. In a tooth-brush, the combination, with two brushingsections arranged in position side by side when ready for use and adapted in said position to beswung laterally and.

outwardly into a position back to back, said brushingsections comprising rearwardly extending shafts, and a handle comprising a arranged within the handle, of a latch for locking the aforesaid shell in position .relative to the aforesaid shaft-supporting member, which latch is pivotally supportedindependently of said shell and in its locking position overlaps the out-er side of the afore said head and insaid position is arranged to be swung into a position opposite the aforesaid hole to render thelatch inoperative, said hole being large enough in dimensions and having the arrangement required to permit the removal of the aforesaidshell upon actuating sald latch lnto 1ts last-mentioned position.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoin g specification, in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID WVEISS.

Vitnesses N. L. 'NIGDONNELL, VICTOR G. LYNCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ff Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

